LAKE ALMANOR, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Aug. 7: Cooler weather has made it nice up here, and fishing continues good, and maybe even better than last week. The Big Springs area is good again, as it's a summer holding area for fish. The ticket is to stay just up off the bottom with nightcrawlers or anchovy tails. Trolling is always a good bet.
BISHOP, CALIF. AREA:
Sabrina Lake: Patti Apted of the Lake Sabrina Boat Landing (760-873-7425): Fishing the inlets with worms or eggs was your best bet. For the trollers, flashers and a worm has been doing decent as has drifting worms or Power Bait by the rock piles. Shore fishing with Power Bait or an inflated worm brought in quite a few limits.
BLUE LAKES AREA, CALIF: Dave Kirby of the Woodfords Station (530-694-2930): Both Upper and Lower Blue Lakes have actually been pretty good with a few limits. being reported.
BUCK'S LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Aug. 7: Another 17-pound Mack caught, along with two 8 pounders and a 6 pounder by the same guy, Dwayne Moss of Gridley, who was jigging behind Rainbow Point. Easy Kokanee limits on fish 8 to 11 inches (standard size here) down 45 feet or a bit deeper on standard Koke offerings, and rainbows and brookies satisfying all the anglers who try in the tributaries on bait or lures.
CARSON RIVERS, CALIF:
East Carson River: Todd Sodaro and Chad Machado of the Carson River Resort (877-694-2229): Alpine County planted last Wednesday with some monster planters. Gary Cronhardt of Vallejo caught a 6.4 pound rainbow on green Power Bait. Matthew Nelson, 6 years old, of Vallejo caught a 1.5 pound rainbow on Power Bait. Shane and Shelby Scanlan caught 5 fish in the 14-15 inch class on what they said was "Mystery Bait."
West Carson River: Dave Kirby: A friend and I did pretty well, last week. We each caught about 8-10 fish, working the deeper holes with small flies.
Special Note: The West Carson River has Handicapped Access for fishermen at Pickett's Junction (the Intersection of S.R. 88 and S.R. 89 at the edge of Hope Valley).
CONVICT LAKE, CALIF: Launa Strickland at the Convict Lake Resort (800-992-2260): Fishing continues to be good, especially back at the Inlet. We saw a few more 3-5 pound Rainbows and several full stringers this week. Orange Gulp, Orange and Salmon Peach Power Bait were the top performers this week. Try Needlefish lures for trolling, and Kastmaster in Silver/Blue, Thomas Buoyant in Gold/Red on the shore. A 5-pound, 12-ounce Alper's Rainbow on a brown Nymph fly at the inlet.
DAVIS LAKE, CALIF: Ed Dillard (Dillard Guided Fishing) (530-832-6394) reported: I fished Davis Friday and caught 2 trout, 18 and 21 inches, plus we lost 2 fish. Copper red head (Dick Nite lure) 15 feet down.
DAVIS LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Aug. 7: Very little to report here, trout-wise, but word has it that tons of catfish are being caught around the lake. Some good native German browns have been caught in Big Grizzly Creek downstream from the Lake Davis dam. All the roads around the lake will be closed beginning Sept. 4 as the Department of Fish and Game start staging for the chemical treatment of the lake to kill off the northern pike. No date of actual application available yet.
EAGLE LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Aug. 7: Cooler weather will do nothing but make it better fishing up here, and it's already been darn good. Shrimp Island and Wild Cat still a bit better, but good numbers of big fish are coming out from in front of Ronald McDonalds Camp and Miner's Point/Bay area. Trolling black eel imitators is good, but nightcrawlers look about the same.
FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF: Ed Dillard (Dillard Guided Fishing) (530-832-6394) reported: Frenchman is still hot. Thursday we had over 20 fish to 17 inches, most fish are 14 inches.
JUNE LAKE LOOP, CALIF: The Trout Fitter in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. (760) 924-3676: June and Grant has been fishing well. Excellent reports from Silver Lake have been coming in all week. Focus on dropoffs and deep bays. Berkeley Gulp Eggs in Red or Chartreuse and Berkeley Gulp Dough in Orange Pulp or Chunky Chart. Try using a 3 inch Red or Orange Berkeley Trout Worm with a split shot 2-3 feet above the worm and drag or wiggle the worm along the bottom. For lures , try 1/4 Oz. Cyclone in Rainbow Trout or Brass, CD-3 Rapalas in Gold and Fire Tiger, 1/4 Oz. Phoebe in silver or gold and 1/4 Oz. Panther/Martin in black/red dots.
LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Don Hettrick and Don Quilici of Carson City and Rich Bachle of Fernley trolled there, last Thursday morning. They reported catching and releasing many small White Bass on every lure that they tried. The also reported that the water level has dropped dramatically.
LAHONTAN RESERVOIR, NEV: Norm Budden and Bob "Slick" McCulloch fished late last Thursday afternoon. They did not say how they did fishing, but they did report almost running aground on some rocks just under the surface of the water.
MAMMOTH LAKES, CALIF: The Trout Fitter in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. (760) 924-3676: Upper Twin and George has been the two hot spots for the last week. Lake Mary has been producing a good number of big Alpers Trout, go deep for these guys. Try Berkeley Gulp Eggs in pink or orange, Berkeley Power Trout Worms in orange or pink with a couple of split shot 2-3 feet above and Berkeley Gulp in Orange Pulp or Rainbow Candy. For lures try 1/4 Oz. Thomas Buoyant in frog or silver/Blue, 1/8 Oz Rooster Tail in yellow or green, Thunderbolt in gold and CD-3 Rapala in gold or Fire Tiger. Don't forget banana/silver or pearl Trout Traps. Trollers getting down 5 to 6 colors with Flatfish and Tasmanian Devils are pulling up good numbers of big brown and rainbow trout.
SHASTA LAKE, CALIF: Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500): As of Aug. 7: Trout and king salmon, almost all of them over 15 inches and up to 20.5 inches, are coming out for trollers working from 45 feet to 80 feet with lures like Flee Bittys and Pee Wees behind Sling Blades. The area around No Name Island is good, and so is Backbone where the water dumps into the lake.
Stampede Reservoir, CALIF: "Father" Dick Murphy of Sun Valley (888) 852-2680 reported: Best area is from the boat ramp to the springs on the west end of the island. Fish are scattered over most of the lake. Copper or red spinners with Murph's Super Bug or Lollipop, 50-80 feet deep. 2-5 pound spotted bass are being caught at the dam and Davies Arm.
LAKE TAHOE - North Shore:
Gene St. Denis of Blue Ribbon Charters and Tahoe Trophy Trout at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. (530-544-6552): I've been very busy. We have been trolling 100-280 feet deep. We locate the fish on the fish finder and then troll in a "Figure Eight" pattern, bouncing the bottom. I've been fishing at Cal-Neva, Dollar Point and Sugar Pine Points. Getting 2-9 fish per trip.
LAKE TAHOE - South Shore: Gene St. Denis: I've been fishing 50-200 feet deep at Ski Run Shelf, Camp Richardson and the Tahoe Keys. Trolling with silver Herring Dodger flasher blades and minnows. Bouncing off the bottom in a serpentine pattern. Macks are 2-7 pounds.
LAKE TAHOE - East Shore: Gene St. Denis: Trolling for Mackinaw 60-150 feet deep with flashers and minnows.
TOPAZ LAKE: Chuck and Linda Fields at the Topaz Lake Marina (775-266-3550): Not much going on. The water is low and warm (in the 70 degrees) and the fish have gone real deep. Lots of jet skis and water skiers.
TWIN LAKES, CALIF:
Upper Twin Lake: Annett's Mono Village (760-932-7071): The top fish were a 5.5 pound rainbow on a Hotshot lure, 5-pound, 7-ounce rainbow on a woolly bugger fly and a 5.75 pound rainbow on a Black Gnat fly. 1-2 pound stringers are hitting on Power Bait and worms.
WILDHORSE RESERVOIR, NEV: Dennis Dunn, Mark, Rocket and Scott at the Wild Horse Resort (775) 758-6472: The fishing is still good, both from shore or in boats. The perch, trout, bass and catfish are all hitting.